Calgary Stampede officials call it a diversion pathway. Nearby residents in Ramsay say it’s an unnecessary barrier. A police report describes it as a “fatal funnel.”

“It” is a proposed 800-metre pathway designed by the Calgary Stampede to divert people away from an existing pathway, so that they go around a “river park greening project” on the eastern banks of the Elbow River.

If the plan is passed by the city at an appeal hearing November 19, people will be forced to walk, run or bike down a potentially dangerous corridor — sandwiching them between a chain-link fence and the steep slope of Scotsman’s Hill — during the three weeks surrounding the Calgary Stampede.

Art Matsui, vice-president external of Ramsay’s community association, fears there are several potential safety issues with the proposed pathway.

“The purpose of the fencing is to keep people out of the Stampede, so how easy is it going to be to get out of there if there is trouble?” says Matsui. “The whole thing, no matter what they do, makes it less desirable for people to use.”

Matsui points to one police report that warns if the plan goes ahead, pedestrians will have “no easy escape route should they be attacked or confronted.”

The only escape options, warns Gerry Bailey in his police assessment called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, are to flee back onto the path or “climb the 45-degree Scotsman’s Hill.” Some points along the path are too narrow for emergency vehicles to readily access — possibly increasing response times in life-threatening events. “We call a pathway of this design and location a possible fatal funnel,” writes Bailey.

Even a city document expressed concern about safety along the proposed path, calling it a “potentially dangerous” area for users. It’s these ominous warnings that worry Matsui, who hopes the city will send the Stampede’s $15-million river park project back to the drawing board.

“Our hope is that because SDAB is a quasi-judicial board they’ll hear our case on its merits rather than have the Stampede’s undue influence in the decision,” says Matsui.

But Stampede officials say the police report Matsui likes to refer to is outdated, and it’s a report they weren’t asked to consult on.

Updated plans, say police, follow many of Bailey’s security recommendations, including several openings in the fence (some up to 18-metres wide), improved lighting, monitored security cameras and random patrols.

“The recommendations that Bailey makes generally are followed through, especially the serious ones,” says Sgt. Dean Vegso, a spokesperson for the crime prevention unit.

Although the Stampede has accepted many of the recommendations to improve safety along the pathway, the police “would have concerns” if it’s used for more than the 21 days — a timeline the Stampede has promised to follow, says Vegso.

Warren Connell, vice-president of development and operations for the Stampede, says community concerns are “unfounded” and the organization has “gone to great lengths” to address security issues.

“Personally, I just believe it’s an argument to argue against river park,” says Connell. “I do not believe they actually believe we will shut down the pathway — they know we won’t.”

But Matsui isn’t buying that story. “It’s technically correct on this development permit that they’re only going to use the bypass pathway during Stampede,” he says. “But what we’re worried about is the overall plans for the site.”

That overall plan, says Matsui, will see the Stampede move its “non-valuable assets,” such as the Rotary House, onto Elbow River’s east banks. This would allow the Stampede to close the main pathway and force people onto the proposed diversion path up to 180 times each year, says Matsui.

While the Stampede intends to move Rotary House to the river park in a couple years, it has no power to arbitrarily shut down the main path during times other than the Stampede event, says Connell.

“We have no plans to shut it down at any other time of the year and if we ever did have plans, we’d have to go to the City of Calgary for permission,” he says. “I believe we’ve been dealing in good faith, but it appears to be all or nothing.”

Overall, the Stampede’s proposed changes to the park are “wonderful,” says newly elected Ald. Gian-Carlo Carra. But the ensuing brouhaha between the two parties highlights the fact the overall process is designed to create conflict, he adds.

“Personally I think that Ramsay is picking a fight on too many technical issues,” says Carra, who represents the Ramsay area. “The system is set up to be all about little technical battles rather than solving problems.”